HOW ORGANIZATIONS CAN USE DEVELOPMENTAL FEEDBACK FOR HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Developmental Feedback, ideally, is a conversation/conversations a manager and employee have to achieve the goals of the organizations.
The word ideal has been used to qualify feedback, because in many organizations is seen as an opportunity to be critical of employees. Developmental Feedback on the other hand addresses behavior and not the person. It seeks to improve performance and not to merely criticize.
Usually, it is a power driven event, where a manager uses his authority to impress his opinion about the employee’s behavior and action and how these affect organizational goals.
The purpose of feedback is viewed differently across organizations. From conversations we have had with managers and business owners; some believe feedback is a tool for improving performance of employees, while some think it is primarily meant to keep employees on track. Some managers also see feedback as an opportunity to spot the holes in the behavior of employees.
Developmental feedback seeks to improve performance, thus is assesses behaviors, actions and results of employees. This serves as an input for improvement for future behavior and actions.
Developmental feedback has a set of pillars that must be considered for it to be useful for organizations.
The Pillars are;
1. Big thinking: Managers must have a grand mental representation of the employee in his/her service to the organization. The goals of the organization must align with the best behavior the employee can put forward. The goals of the organization must also not be mediocre or short. This has a tendency of whittling the energy and capacity for the employee’s improvement. A grand behavior must align with a grand vision of the organization.
2. Facts, Facts, Facts: Discussions between the employee and manager must be driven by facts only; not hear say, mental compositions or insecurity. Managers must always endeavour to put facts on the table. This reduces defensiveness from the employee. It also provides an environment where psychological safety exists. Employees must feel safe and managers must ensure that feedback sessions don’t become what employees dread. Application of facts to discussions is more effective in the quest for managing and influencing desirable behavior in organizations.
3. Impact Driven: Developmental Feedback looks at how employee behavior and action causes any meaningful impact. Does their behavior affect the bottom line positively or negatively? Does their behavior affect organizational health positively or negatively? Does is improve team members?
4. Organizational Alignment: Managers must always emphasize a linkage between feedback discussions and organizational strategy and goals. Anything other than this is only discussing the employee’s behavior and how it probably affects the manager personally. The conversations must be linked to the organizations strategy.
5. Ask and offer help:
Sometimes, employees need help, managers are in the best position to offer this help. Amazing managers serve as catalysts for performance. An employee may need help for capacity development, conflict reduction and other stress generating issues that affect performance.
Managers should endeavour to ask employees if they need help.
6. Empathy and Listening:
The ability to put yourself in the shoes of employees is a very important part of engaging employees. The ability to listen to understand, is more important that listening to respond.
Understanding employee challenges and limitations requires an advanced level of listening. Managers must be able to listen to make their employees more effective
Babatope Falade-Onikoyi is the Manager, Organization Development at Westfield Consulting.
